


This Is Not a Three-Way

by feverbeats



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-10
Updated: 2010-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feverbeats/pseuds/feverbeats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halfway through Regulus's fifth year, he and his friends sneak into Slughorn's potions cupboard to smoke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is Not a Three-Way

  
When Regulus is in school, he makes friends with two boys a couple of years behind him in addition to the multitude of older friends he has, friends who've already joined the Death Eaters.

When Bartemius Crouch, Jr. first meets Regulus, he goes by his full name and sits up straight. Two years later, he's going by Barty and even considering the merits of a leather jacket. Regulus is a good influence on people, even if all he can do is turn them into his brother.

Quirinus Quirrell never goes by anything but his last name, and mostly all he does is sit in a corner of the Slytherin common room with a blunt in one hand, reading magazines. He's a half-blood, and he tells Regulus and Barty that Muggle drugs are made of some kind of weed Wizards don't have.

Halfway through Regulus's fifth year, he and his friends sneak into Slughorn's potions cupboard to smoke. Even Barty is loosening up enough to take a few hits, although he keeps shooting Regulus disapproving glances.

The closet is very full, old books and jars of obscure ingredients piled high and wide in the cupboard, and Quirrell keeps giggling and almost knocking things over on Regulus's head.

"Ow—Hold on, Barty, _move_," Regulus says, ducking a shower of dust from a narrow shelf. He manages to perch himself on a stool that's wedged in the corner, giving him a little breathing room. "That's better." It should probably offend his meticulous rule-following sensibilities that they're doing this, but even he needs some sort of refuge from doing his homework early and writing well-crafted letters to his parents.

Quirrell passes Regulus a joint with a look of grave solemnity, as though it's a ritual.

Regulus grins. "Brilliant, thanks. I've smoked one already, though—" He has to maintain some sense of decorum, after all.

"Shut it," Quirrell says lazily. "I need to get rid of them. McGonagall's getting suspicious. I was smoking in the back of Transfiguration again."

Barty laughs. "That's awful."

"She's never caught me," Regulus says with some pride.

"She wouldn't," Quirrell notes. "You have smoke in class. Too careful, mate. It's not healthy."

"Loosen up," Barty adds, something the two of them have said to him dozens of times. When Regulus is telling someone to loosen up, it's a sure sign that it's needed. Barty reaches over and shakes Regulus's arm, tipping into him a bit and making Regulus lose his balance. Barty ends up half on top of him, laughing.

Just then, someone yanks the door open, and light spills into the little space. Severus Snape is standing there, looking shocked. "Oh, I—Right," he says, blushing scarlet.

He slams the door.

"_Bugger_," Regulus says, shoving Barty off.

"That's him, right?" Barty says. "The one you've been following around for ages? You know he's a half-blood, don't you?"

"I'm doomed," Regulus says miserably, feeling more irritated than anything. All of his carefully-laid plans are just going to fall apart is Severus thinks he's—Well, whatever conclusion someone might draw from that brief glimpse. If he's lucky, Severus will only thing he's some sort of stoned idiot.

"Come on," Quirrell says, "Let's go before someone else catches us. Like Slughorn."

The idea of Slughorn finding them smoking in his cupboard must strike Barty as funny, because he starts to laugh again, grabbing Regulus's shoulder.

"Oh _no_," Regulus says, tripping and hitting the shelf-covered wall.

A cascade of jars careens through the air, some of them smashing at Quirrell's feet and one grazing Regulus's ear.

"Bloody hell," Quirrell says distantly.

Regulus likes these friends better than the ones who have joined the Death Eaters. Nothing against the Death Eaters, mind, he just likes having something all his own. Now he just needs to repair things with Severus.


End file.
